19.74
sucih sad-bhakti-diptagni-
dagdha-durjati-kalmasah
svapako ’pi budhaih slagyo
na vedajno ’pi nastikah
SYNONYMS
sucih—a brahmana purified internally and externally; sat-bhakti—of devotional service without motives; dipta-agni—by the blazing fire; dagdha—burnt to ashes; durjati—such as birth in a low family; kalmasah—whose sinful reactions; sva-pakah api—even though born in a family of dog-eaters; budhaih—by learned scholars; slagyah—recognized; na—not; veda-jnah api—even though completely conversant in Vedic knowledge; nastikah—an atheist.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, " ’A person who has the pure characteristics of a brahmana due to devotional service, which is like a blazing fire burning to ashes all the sinful reactions of past lives, is certainly saved from the consequences of sinful acts, such as taking birth in a lower family.
Even though he may be born in a family of dog-eaters, he is recognized by learned scholars.
However, although a person may be a learned scholar in Vedic knowledge, he is not recognized if he is an atheist.
PURPORT
This verse and the next are quoted from the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (3.11,12), a transcendental literature extracted from the Puranas.